1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to improvements in manual sorting devices for organizationally separating paper products, including individual sheets of paper, files, invoices, statements, and other single or multiple sheets of paper. The apparatus includes a rigid, planar support base for supporting a plurality of flat, self-standing dividers. Specifically, the present invention deals with improvements in the divider and its operation with the divider support base and with reference tabs.
2. Description of Related Art
Manual sorters for paper products are well known in the art. Devices of this type typically include a rigid base that holds a plurality of thin, planar dividers, each having a reference tab.
Sorters are designed in two different operational styles, based on the orientation of the dividers as they rest in the support base.
A vertical manual sorter has a plurality of dividers that stand substantially upright, and permit longitudinal expansion along the support base.
A flat manual sorter has a plurality of dividers that lie essentially horizontally against each other and the supporting base. The flat sorter typically is not expandable along the support base.
The vertical and flat style divider support bases both have rigid, typically flat, elongated support bases that include parallel channels, one on each side of the divider support base, that receives engaging elements, each formed as part of each divider along the divider bottom to movably anchor and retain each divider in the support base.
In order to use either type of sorter, vertical or flat, each divider must be somewhat movable relative to adjacent dividers to provide manual separation between adjacent dividers for insertion or extraction of the sheet of paper to be filed or extracted.
In the vertical style sorter, each divider is also movable longitudinally relative to the divider support base to allow expansion of space between the vertical dividers, if desired, to expand a particular area between dividers to receive a larger volume of paper sheets.
When looking at a flat sorter, one problem that arises deals with the rotational positioning of the divider. Each divider in a flat sorter is held in place by gravity and when it is manually raised rotationally to insert or remove an item, the divider must be constantly held in position. The user opening a flat divider section may wish the divider to remain in an open position while working with the sorter. Often, a user may place a foreign object to spread apart the dividers while operating the device. Thus, it would be desirous to have a flat sorter, wherein an individual divider could be positioned in an expanded or open position for a short period of time during the use of the device.
When using a vertical sorter, each divider should stand firmly in place vertically while allowing some slight rotational movement for opening areas between dividers for placing or extracting paper sheets disposed therein.
In all sorters, it is also desirable for the user to be able to instantly recognize the desired specific divider section, whether it be alphabetical or numerical for ease of operation of the device.
The present invention overcomes problems in the prior art by providing an improved manual sorter for both vertical and flat sorters, having an improved divider in its operational relationship with the divider support base and a tab display.